Vantage reviews state report card results

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Vantage Career Center Board of Education heard a report on Vantage’s State Report Card performance, as well as a follow-up on the school’s 40th anniversary celebration, and also approved a number of personnel actions during its March meeting on Thursday.

Vantage High School/Facilities Director Ben Winans noted that the school again aced the Career-Technical Planning District Report Card for 2014-15, receiving all A’s on the report, which was recently released by the Ohio Department of Education.

Vantage received an A on Technical Skill Attainment (81.5 percent) and had an assessment participation rate of 93.3 percent. Graduation rates were 97.2 percent after four years and 99.5 percent after five years, both good enough for A’s. The school also received an “A” for its post-program placement rate of 94.6 percent.

Winans said that, while there remains some room for improvement, he felt Vantage’s scores were excellent, noting it was the second year in a row the school received all “A’s” on the report card.

During his report, Winans also talked about Vantage receiving a Straight A grant of $485,000, adding that the grant, awarded to Vantage and a consortium of other career centers, would not only provide new equipment, including new robotics machines, but also provides the opportunity for partnership between the participating schools.

“It’s something we pretty excited about,” Winans said of the partnership opportunities.

Superintendent Staci Kaufman said it would likely take approximately 1 to 1½ years to get all the new equipment and programs completely up and running in Vantage classrooms, but also felt the partnerships could be as valuable as the new equipment is to the school.

Treasurer Laura Peters talked about training she is undergoing for the district’s new MUNIS financial software, noting that the software should be fully implemented early next year.

Adult Education Director Pete Prichard also reported on his recent trip to a legislative conference in Washington, D.C., that included a meeting with U.S. Representative Bob Latta.

In personnel items, the Vantage board approved Winans, career tech supervisors Maryann Hall and Ted Verhoff new three-year administrative contracts. Others receiving contracts are the following: Adelina Alvarez (cook), Richard McKanna and Stephen Burrow (custodians), Brenda Wurst (instructional aide), and Tricia Taylor (assistant treasurer), two-year contracts; and Darrell Miller, a one-year contract as the school’s attendance-discipline officer. Debra Wiess was also hired as a part-time cook, while Michael DeMoss was hired as a Truck Academy maintenance worker, and Natoshia Wilhelm employed as an Adult Education instructor.

The board also accepted the resignation of Diane Mercer, high school secretary, for the purpose of retirement, effective July 1. Kaufman spoke highly of Mercer’s contributions to the district.

In other news, the Vantage board:

Approved the following overnight trips: Field trip to Columbus for the State BPA Competition March 17-18; field trip to Columbus for the state FCCLA Competition from April 27-29; a field trip to Lima for the FFA competition on March 3-4; and a field trip to Columbus for the SkillsUSA State Competition on April 25-27.

Appointed Winans the school’s homeless liaison, per school policy.

Approved a Van Wert Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Roberta Myers, 198 Parkview Drive in Van Wert, for a five-year, 50-percent tax abatement at a cost of $207,477.

Went into executive session to discuss personnel items, with no action taken following the session.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in the district conference room. The meeting will be followed by Vantage’s All Boards Dinner in the Vantage Commons.